​SWITCH of JAPAN 2026
Day 0｜Eve & Opening Forum

​Meet the Japanese cities and startups shaping what comes next, the evening before SWITCH begins.

​Date and time
Mon 26 Oct 2026, 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM (SGT)
Doors open 6:30 PM, program starts 6:45 PM

​Before SWITCH (Singapore Week of Innovation & Technology) gets going, come and meet the people behind three of Japan's most active innovation cities.

​Tokyo, Kyoto and Yokohama will each share what they are building and where they are looking for partners in Singapore. Startups from each city will introduce their work in person. No long pitches, just a clear picture of who is here and why it might matter to you.

​For four years, SWITCH of JAPAN has brought Japanese cities, startups and corporates together with Singapore's innovation community. This year marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Singapore, and we are opening the week with an evening designed for conversation first. If you work in startups, corporate innovation, investment, research or government, this is a good place to start your SWITCH week with a few new introductions.

​1｜Program

​①Opening remarks
②City spotlights: Tokyo, Kyoto and Yokohama, each with a startup from its ecosystem
③A toast to the week ahead
④Networking

​The program is subject to change. Details may be updated closer to the date.

​2｜Hosts

​・Organised by N9, JSIP and One&Co
・Co-hosted by Kyoto City and Yokohama City
・In partnership with Tokyo Metropolitan Government and JETRO

​3｜Registration note

​This is an invitation-based evening with limited capacity. Registration is subject to approval by the hosts. You will receive a confirmation email once approved.

​

​
Meet the Startups

​11 Japanese startups, handpicked for SWITCH.

​
1｜QUANTUM COMPUTING

​Yaqumo
Building neutral atom quantum computers, with joint research already underway with Singapore's Entropica Labs.

​OptQC
Developing optical quantum computers designed for scale and energy efficiency.

​
2｜SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY

​bitBiome
Microbial genome data and AI to design enzymes and strains for drugs, materials and food.

​Fermelanta
Engineered microbes that produce rare plant ingredients for medicine, cosmetics and health foods, without relying on farms or climate.

​
3｜SEMICONDUCTOR & ROBOTICS

​Ball Wave
Compact gas sensors that detect moisture down to parts per billion. Its inline moisture analyzer is qualified by a leading Taiwanese chipmaker.

​XELA Robotics
Tactile sensors that give robots a sense of touch, used by more than 170 clients worldwide.

​
4｜CLIMATE ADAPTATION

​TerraInsight
A water risk data platform built on Kyoto University disaster prevention research and 250 years of global hydrological data.

​WILLTEX
Textiles meet electronics: heating fabrics, heat control coatings and cooling materials for a warming world.

​
5｜HEALTH & SAFETY

​MaRI
Contactless millimeter wave radar that reads vital signs during sleep, being developed into a gentler treatment for sleep apnea.

​UNTRACKED
Measures a person's fall risk in about one minute, helping workplaces and care settings prevent falls before they happen.

​
6｜SPACE

​Minato Rocket
Non-explosive hybrid rockets, aiming to launch small satellites safely and more often.

​

​
Meet the Cities

​Yokohama
Japan's second largest city, with about 3.7 million residents, and a port that has linked Japan to the world for over 160 years. Many global and Japanese corporations run R&D centers in the Minato Mirai waterfront district. At the heart of this district, TECH HUB YOKOHAMA, the city's startup support hub, connects startups with corporations, investors, universities, and government partners, creating opportunities for collaboration, business development, and market entry in Japan.

Kyoto
Japan's capital for more than a thousand years, and today home to leading universities, including Kyoto University, and globally known companies such as Nintendo, Kyocera, Omron and Shimadzu. Kyoto combines deep research strength with traditional craft and culture, and the city actively supports startups in fields such as life sciences, materials and hardware.

Tokyo
Japan's capital and largest economy, with about 14 million residents. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government runs Tokyo Innovation Base (TIB), a hub for startups and supporters, and hosts SusHi Tech Tokyo, one of Asia's largest startup events. Tokyo is working to grow its startup ecosystem and to build stronger links with innovation hubs overseas, including Singapore.